Container closure



Aug., 18, 1953 F, A. VASTANO ET AL 2,649,220

CONTAINER cLosuRE Filed May 24, 1949 FREDEfe/CK f6. VsmA/O KARL [mc/50N 5, ROBERT f?. 5I JEAN V WM MKM 54/ mfom/EY Patented Aug. 18, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONTAINER CLO SURE Application May 24, 1949, `Serial No. 95,088

6 Claims.

'This invention relates to a removable and replaceable container closure such as a bottle cap.

The container closure of the present invention represents a further development and an improvement over the container closure disclosed and claimed in application Serial No. 71,980, and now Patent No. 2,600,086, led January 21, 1949, by Frederick A. Vastano, and entitled "Container Closure. Although the replaceable container closure shown and claimed in application Serial No. '11,980 is satisfactory in that it is rugged, fairly cheaply made, and rather easily manipulated, it possesses a disadvantage in that it adds appreciably to the height of the capped bottle. Furthermore, the cap of the previous application consists of six or seven parts, and, especially in that embodiment in which an adjustment as to height of the sealing disc is provided, such cap normally requires two hands to apply and to seal it.

In the container closure of the present invention the sealing member operating cam is enclosed completely within the main body of the closure. Consequently a great saving in the total height of the closure is effected, the closure of i the invention being but little taller than the ordinary crown cap for bottles. A tall soda or ginger ale bottle provided with the cap of the invention may be stood upright in a modern refrigerator having but little clearance above the crown cap initially provided on such tall bottle. 1n the preferred embodiments of the closure of the invention the operating lever protrudes from. one side of the main body thereof. As a result, the closure is more easily operated than is the above mentioned former closure, vand may normally be applied to the bottle and brought into sealing relationship therewith by one hand. Furthermore, the closure of the invention, in preferred embodiments, is composed of fewer parts than is the former closure, the closure of the present invention being more readily adapted to having the main parts thereof formed in automatic machines.

It is, accordingly, an object of the invention to provide a container closure, such as a bottle cap, of the type above described which is short, simple, and rugged in construction, and which is easily applied to and removed from the container such as a bottle.

This and further objects of the invention will be more readily apparent in the following description of preferred embodiments thereof.

In the drawings accompanying the specification and forming a part thereof:

Fig. l is a view in side elevation of a first embodiment of the container closure of the ini/ention amxed to the neck of a bottle;

Fig. 2 is a view in plan of such closure;

Fig. 3 is a view in vertical section through the 2 first embodiment of the closure and the neck of the bottle to which it is aixed, the section being taken along the line 3--3 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view in vertical section through the cap, the section being taken along the line 4 4 in Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a View in vertical section, similar to Fig. 3, of a second embodiment of the container closure of the invention.

As above indicated, Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the drawing show a first preferred embodiment of the container closure of the invention, and Fig. 5 shows a second embodiment thereof. The iirst embodiment of the container closure, shown here as a cap for a bottle, such as a bottle containing soda water or ginger ale, is designated generally by the reference character 2. The main body 6 of the cap 2 is generally in the form of an inverted cup, as shown in Fig. 3. Cap 2 is applied to a bottle, of which the neck is shown at 4, by being slid sidewardly thereof, when the sealing means is in inoperative position, so that the inwardly extending bead engaging flange l2 engages the underside of the bead l0 at the top of the bottle. The ange l2 extends somewhat more than 180 around the cap, terminating at the ends M and I6 indicated in Figs. 1 and 2. The portion of the cap at the right in Fig. 1, containing fiange I2, is in the form of a depending skirt 8, the portion of the cap at the left having such ange cutaway on the level A-A, as shown. Body 6 is provided on its outer surface with a knurled annular rib 3 adjacent the top thereof by which the cap is readily grasped and manipulated.

In the embodiment of the cap shown in Fig. 3, the main body 6 is preferably formed from bar stock on an automatic screw machine, the cavity within the main body having its sidewalls formed, after the main -body has been hollowed out, by means of a form cutter. Such form cutter produces bottle bead receiving groove I3, the bead engaging flange I2, and, in this embodiment, the groove i8 bounded on the bottom by the second upper inwardly projecting flange I9, which is generally of the same inner diameter as the fiange l2. The upper ange i9 lies above the line of cut A-A along which the skirt is removed on the left-hand side of the cap, as shown in Fig. l. Positioned Within the cavity in the main body 6 coaxially thereof is the imperforate sealing disc 2S made of resilient material, such as rubber and the like. Disc 20 is of a diameter greater than the inner diameter of ange i9 so that such disc L is retained within the groove I8 by the flange i9.

Disc 20 is, in this embodiment, of approximately the same diameter as the inner diameter of groove i3, and is approximately of the same thickness as the Width of such groove, as shown. Lying above sealing disc 26 is the rigid plunger forming disc 22 made of steel or the like, which constitutes the means for pressing disc 2U upon the upper surface of the bottle in sealing relation therewith. Disc 22 has a diameter no greater than, and preferably slightly smaller, as shown, than the inner diameter of the upper flange I9 and of the inner diameter of the main body 6 above groove I8.

In the embodiment shown, the sidewalls of the main body 6 of the cap are provided, immediately adjacent the upper inner surface 29 thereof, with two diametrically opposed radial openings 35 and 38 therethrough. Through such openings there extends the cam providing operating member generally designated 25. Member 24 is formed, in this instance, from spring wire stock, the central portion thereof within the cavity in the cap being deformed to provide the oifset cam providing portion 26 which lies in a vertical plane, as the cap is depicted in Fig. 3. On both sides of the offset portion 25 member 26 is provided with straight portions, that at 28 extending on its outer end through the opening 36 and being headed at 32, and that at 3U, at the right of portion 26, as shown in Fig. 3, extending through the opening 38 in the sidewall of the main body of the cap. Outwardly of opening 38 member 24 is bent into the form of an operating arm 34, extending, in this instance, at right angles to the portions 28 and 3D of member 24 and lying in the same plane which contains the offset portion 26.

In the embodiment shown in Figl S, wherein holes 36 and 38 lie immediately adjacent the surface 29 of the main body E, the portions 28 and 39 of member 24 are supported by contact with surface 29 when cam forming member Z presses disc 22 and sealing member 2n downwardly into sealing engagement with the top of the bottleneck. Because member 22 in this embodiment is formed of spring wire, there is sufficient resilience in the offset portion 26 so that such resilience, taken in combination with the resilience of sealing member 2li, effects and maintains over long periods a tight sealing engagement between disc 20 and the upper surface of the bottle neck when member 24 is turned into the operative sealing position of member 2d shown in Fig. 3.

Member 24 is stably held in such sealing position by means of the flattened portion 36 at the bottom of offset 2B, more clearly shown in Fig. 4. It will be obvious that when member 24 is turned so that offset 26 lies vertical, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, member 2li will be stably held in such sealing position by reason of the engagement of the flatted surface 36 on the offset and the upper flat surface of member 22. There is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4 the position which offset 2S assumes when handle 34 is turned to horizontal inoperative position. It will be apparent that member 2li may be turned in either direction from the sealing position shown in Fig. 4 to relieve the sealing member from the bottle neck so that the cap may be removed therefrom.

In the rst described embodiment of the cap the sealing member 2l! is preferably not attached to the disc 22. The parts of the cap are assembled as follows: The main body of the cap, formed as above described, is provided with the two diametrically opposed openings 35 and 38 through the sidewall thereof. Opening 38 is preferably slightly larger than opening 35. The member 24, formed with the offset 26 and with the handle 34 bent, as shown, is then inserted with its end 28 rst through the opening 38 and then through the opening 36. Thereupon the forward end of portion 28 of member 2 l is headed, as shown at 32, to retain such member in the main body of the cap. The plunger forming disc 22 is then inserted within the cavity of the main body, such insertion being possible due to the smaller diameter of member 22 relative to the flanges I2 and I9. The sealing member 2U is then inserted, the outer edge of such member snapping past the upper flange I9 and into groove I8 to retain member 22 in position within the main body of the cap at all times. Member 29 is deformed, as shown, somewhat by means of its engagement with flange IQ when members 2E) and 22 are advanced by cam 26 into sealing relationship with the bottle neck. When handle 34 is turned to a horizontal position, member 20, by reason of its engagement with flange I9, causes plunger 22 to follow somewhat the cam providing offset 2-6, thereby retracting it from the upper surface of the bottle neck and allowing the ready retraction of the cap from the neck by sliding the cap laterally of the latter.

The bottle cap of the second embodiment, shown in Fig. 5, is similar in its main elements to that above described. Those portions of the structure shown in Fig. 5 which are the same as those shown in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, are designated by the same reference characters primed. In the structure of Fig. 5 the main body 6 of the cap differs from the body 6 in that there is but one flange on the inner surface of the sidewall thereof, such flange being the bead engaging flange l2'. The parts are similarly formed and, with the exception of sealing disc 23' are of the same relative dimensions as those in the first described embodiment. The parts of the cap shown in Fig. 5 are assembled in the same manner as are those of Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive. In the embodiment of Fig. 5, however, sealing disc 20 is made of a diameter somewhat exceeding the inner diameter of body 6 above flange I2', so that it firmly engages the inner sidewalls of the portion E of the cap above flange l2', as shown. Such engagement is suicient to retain plunger member 22', which may be adhered to member 20 as by means of an interposed layer of bonding cement 2|, in the upper portion of the cavity lof the cap. Consequently, the sealing unit composed of elements 20 and 22 remain-.s within the upper part of the cap body and does not drop when handle 34 is swung horizontally to relieve member 2G of sealing engagement with the bottle cap. The plunger and sealing member also remain in assembled relationship with the body of the cap when the cap is removed from the bottle.

Although for purposes of illustration we have shown and described two preferred embodiments of the container closure of the invention, it is to be understood that such-closure is capable of numerous variations as to details. The invention is, therefore, defined by the scope of the claims appended hereto.

We claim as new the following:

1. A cap for a bottle having a neck, an opening at the top of the neck, and a bead encircling the neck, comprising a main body in the form of an inverted cup having a portion adapted to overlie the upper end of the bottle neck, a depending skirt on the main body extending throughout at least slightly more than around the neck, the skirt having an inwardly directed bead engaging flange thereon, the termini of the skirt being spaced sufficiently to allow the cap to be slid onto the bottle neck, said main body having a substantially ilat inner upper surface lying normal to the vertical axis of the main body, a plunger in the form of a rigid disc mounted within the main body coaxially thereof for reciprocation toward and away from the opening in the bottle, sealing means in the form of a resilient disc spanning the hollow in the main body and the opening in the bottle and lying parallel to and generally in contact with the lower surface of the rigid disc, the edge of the resilient disc having frictional contact with the sidewall portion of the main body, a pair of diametrically opposed radial openings in the sidewalls of the main body immediately adjacent and substantially tangential to the margins of the inner upper surface of the main body, a wire member extending through said openings, said wire member having an offset portion lying in a plane and forming a cam cooperating with the rigid disc member generally centrally thereof, the portions of the wire member on each side of the oifset portion being straight and lying in contact with the upper inner surface of the main body, one end of the wire member outwardly of the sidewall of the main body being bent to lie in the plane of the olset and generally at a right angle to the main extent of the wire member within the main body, the outer surface of the offset portion of the wire member being at and lying at a right angle to the plane containing the offset, the rigid disc being free of connection to either the cap main body or the cam and being loosely retained between the cam and the resilient disc.

2. A cap for a bottle having a neck, an opening at the top of the neck, and a bead encircling the neck, comprising a main body in the form of an inverted cup having a portion adapted to overlie the upper end of the bottle neck, a depending skirt on the main body extending throughout at least slightly more than 180 around the neck, the skirt having an inwardly directed bead enga-ging ange thereon, the termini of the skirt being spaced sufficiently to allow the cap to be slid onto the bottle neck, said main body having a substantially fiat inner. upper surface lying normal to the vertical axis of the main body, a plunger in the form of a rigid disc mounted within the main body coaxially thereof for reciprocation toward and away from the opening in the bottle, sealing means in the form of a resilient disc spanning the opening in the bottle lying parallel to and generally in contact with the lower surface of the rigid disc, a pair of diametrically opposed radial openings in the sidewalls of the main body adjacent the inner upper surface of the main body, a wire member extending through said openings, said wire member having an offset portion lying in a plane and forming a cam cooperating with the rigid disc member generally centrally thereof, the portions of the wire member on each side of the offset portion being straight and lying in contact with the upper inner surface of the main body, one end of the wire member outwardly of the sidewall of the main body being bent to lie in the plane of the offset and generally at a right angle to the extent of the wire member within the main body, the outer surface of the offset portion of the wire member being flat and lying at a right angle to the plane containing the offset, said main body having a second inwardly directed flange thereon above the lower, bead engaging, flange, the upper flange lying above the upper lip of the bottle when the cap is placed on the bottle, said upper flange having an inner diameter generally the same as that of the lower, bead engaging, flange, said rigid disc having a diameter no greater than the inner diameter of the second flange, said resilient disc having a diameter greater than the inner diameter of the second flange, the periphery of the resilient disc lying above the second fiange on the body of the cap, the rigid disc being free of connection to either the cap main body or the cam and being loosely retained between the cam and the resilient disc.

3. A cap for a bottle having a neck, an opening at the top of the neck, and a bead encircling the neck, comprising a main body in the form of an inverted cup having a portion adapted to overlie the upper end of the bottle neck, a depending skirt on the main body extending throughout at least slightly more than around the neck, the skirt having an inwardly directed flange thereon adapted to engage the underside of the bead on the bottle neck, the termini of the skirt being spaced sufficiently to allow the cap to be slid onto the bottle neck, said main body having a Substantially fiat inner upper surface lying normal to the vertical axis of the main body, a plunger in the form of a rigid disc mounted within the main body coaxially thereof for reciprocation toward and away from the opening in the bottle, sealing means in the form of a resilient disc spanning the opening in the bottle and lying parallel to and generally in contact with the lower surface of the rigid disc, the edge of the re silient disc having frictional Contact with the sidewall portion of the main body, a pair of diametrically opposed radial openings in the sidewalls of the main body immediately adjacent and tangential to the margins of the inner upper sur-v face of the main body, a wire member extending through said openings, said Wire member having an offset portion lying in a plane and forming a cam cooperating with the rigid disc member generally centrally thereof, the portions of the wire member on each side of the offset portion being straight and lying in contact with the upper inner surface of the main body, one end of the wire member outwardly of the sidewall of the main body being bent to lie in the plane of the offset and generally at a right angle to the extent of the wire member within the main body, the outer surface of the offset portion of the wire member being at and lying at a right angle to the plane containing the offset, said rigid disc having a diameter substantially no greater than the inner diameter of the bead engaging flange, said resilient disc having a relaxed diameter greater than the inner diameter of the main body above the bead engaging flange, whereby the periphery of the resilient disc frictionally engages the inner wall of the main body, the rigid disc being'free of connection to either the cap main body or the cam and being loosely retained between the cam and the resilient disc.

4. A cap for a bottle having a neck, an opening at the top of the neck, and a bead encircling the neck, comprising a main body in the form of an inverted cup having a portion adapted to overlie the upper end of the bottle neck, a dependingskirt on the main body extending throughout at least slightly more than 180 around the neck, the skirt having an inwardly directed flange thereon adapted to engage the underside of the bead on the bottle neck, the termini of the skirt Ibeing spaced sufhciently to allow the cap to be slid onto the bottle neck, said main body having a substantially flat inner upper surface lying normal to the vertical axis of the main body, a plunger in the form of a rigid disc mounted within the main body coaxially thereof for reciprocation toward and away from the opening in the bottle, sealing means in the form of a resilient disc spanning the opening in the bottle and lying parallel to and generally in contact with the lower surface of the rigid disc, the edge of the resilient disc having frictional contact with the side wall portion of the main body, a pair of diametrically opposed radial openings in the sidewalls of the main body immediately adjacent and tangential to the margins of the inner upper surface of the main body, a wire member extending through said openings, said wire member having an offset portion lying in a plane and forming a cam cooperating with the rigid disc member generally centrally thereof, the portions of the wire member on each side of the oifset portion being straight and lying in contact with the upper inner surface of the main body, onev end of the Wire member outwardly of the sidewall of the main body being bent to lie generally at a right angle to the extent of the wire member within the main body, said rigid disc having a diameter substantially no greater than the inner diameter of the bead engaging flange, said resilient disc having a relaxed diameter greater than the inner diameter of the main body above the bead engaging flange, whereby the periphery of the resilient disc frictionally engages the inner wall of the main body, the rigid disc being free of connection to either the cap main body or the cam and being loosely retained between the cam and the resilient disc.

5. A cap for a bottle having a neck, an opening at the top of the neck, and a bead encircling the neck, comprising a main body in the form of an inverted cup having a portion adapted to overlie the upper end of the bottle neck, a depending skirt on the main body extending throughout at least slightly more than 180 around the neck, the skirt having an inwardly directed bead engaging flange thereon, the termini of the skirt being spaced sufficiently to allow the cap to be slid onto the bottle neck, said main body having a substantially flat inner upper surface lying normal to the vertical axis of the main body, a plunger in the form of a rigid disc mounted within the main u body coaxially thereof for reciprocation toward and away from the opening in the bottle, sealing means in the form of a resilient disc spanning the hollow in the main body and the opening in the bottle and lying parallel to and generally in contact with the lower surface of the rigid disc, the edge of the resilient disc having frictional contact with the sidewall portion of the main body, a pair of diametrically opposed radial openings in the sidewalls of the main body immediately adjacent and substantially tangential to the margins of the inner upper surface of the main body, a wire member extending through said openings, said wire member having an oset portion lying in a plane and forming a cam cooperating with the rigid disc member generally centrally thereof, the portions of the wire member on each side of the offset portion being straight and lying in contact with the upper inner surface of the main body, one end of the wire member outwardly of the sidewall of the main body being bent to lie generally at a right angle to the main extent of the wire member'within the main body, the rigid disc being free of connection to either the cap main body or the cam and being loosely retained between the cam and the resilient disc.

6. A cap for a bottle having a neck, an opening at the top of the neck, and a bead encircling the neck, comprising a main body in the form of an inverted cup having a portion adapted to overlie the upper end of the bottle neck, a depending skirt on the main body extending throughout at least slightly more than around the neck, the skirt having an inwardly directed bead engaging flange thereon, the termini of the skirt being spaced suciently to allow the cap to be slid onto the bottle neck, said main body having a substantially flat inner upper surface lying normal to the vertical axis of the main body, a plunger in the form of a rigid disc mounted within the main body coaxially thereof for reciprocation toward and away from the opening in the bottle, sealing means in the form of a resilient disc spanning the opening in the bottle lying parallel to and generally in contact with the lower surface of the rigid disc, a pair of diametrically opposed radial openings in the sidewalls of the main body adjacent the inner upper surface of the main body, a wire member extending through said openings, said wire member having an offset portion lying in a plane and forming a cam cooperating with the rigid disc member generally centrally thereof, the portions of the wire member on each side of the offset portion being straight and lying in contact with the upper inner surface of the main body, one end of the wire member outwardly of the sidewall of the main body being bent to lie at a right angle to the extent of the wire member within the main body, said main body having a second inwardly directed ange thereon above the lower, bead engaging, ange, the upper ange lying above the upper lip of the bottle when the cap is placed on the bottle, said upper flange having an inner diameter generally the same as that of the lower, bead engaging, flange, said rigid disc having a diameter no greater than the inner diameter of the second flange, said resilient disc having a diameter greater than the inner diameter of the second flange, the periphery 0f the resilient disc lying above the second flange on the body of the cap, the rigid disc being free of connection to either the cap main body or the cam and being loosely retained between the cam and the resilient disc.

FREDERICK A. VASTANO. KARL ERICKSON. ROBERT R. ST. JEAN.

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